.308 highpressure help!!

carolinabarn

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Sep 20, 2007
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I recently purchased a DPMS SASS .308. I am having trouble developing a load for the rifle. I have been shooting 44g varget in fed cases with 168g hornady a-max. They have shot pretty good out to 1000 yards. That is until yesterday. All the sudden I am geting major pressure signs. Very distorted heads and poped out primers. same powder same temp. Today I pulled 7 of them appart to check the charges. I thought I was going to break the puller. It took forever to get the bullet out. Are fed brass harder? Should I tos the fed brass. Its once fired GMM?
 
Were they trimmed up? Maybe jamming in the lands and boosting pressure on those particular loads?

44grains of varget should be ok and sounds like it has shot fine for you up to this point.

Weird.
 
In Sierras book

44 grains of Varget is half a grain over the maximum for the 168 bullets...

especially for a semi auto...

maybe a different lot of primers?

Joe
 
Sounds like maybe too much neck tension. This can be a result of cases being too long or, your expander ball is too small. Your bullet seater may also be applying too much crimp.
 
I checked the length of the case. The DPMS has a very short chamber. So I have to load short to keep from contacting the lands. I know the neck wall thickness is thicker than my win brass. When I measure the ID of the neck it measures the same. It seems like the thicker wall is harder even though the neck tension measures the same. The hodgin website states the max charge for a 168G to be 46G, I know the capacity of the thicker case is less, thats why i droped back to 44. I am not crimping the neck at all
 
carolinabarn
I had a very similar issue with a .243 some time back. Fired the chosen load withought pressure signs and then suddenly started blowing primers. It turned out it was a build up of copper fowling in the barrel that was causing the increased pressure. Like you I posted the issue on a forum as I had no idea what was causing it. I was told to pass a patch down the barrel and feel for a tight spot. Sure enough there it was about 6 inches from the chamber. I thourghly cleaned the barrel and I mean thourghly - the problem immeadiatley dissapeared. Give it a try and if it works clean more frequently.
SF
 
thats a good idea. this is my first auto loader and it is crazy how those rounds between cleanings seem to rack up a bit faster when you only have to switch a magazine outevery 20 rounds. I left some rounds in the car last summer a little long, and poped a primer out of one of them. But that was very different than what this thing is doing. It fires totally normal. I dont notice any thing wrong until that loose primer jams the next round from loading. I miced it all over and every thing seems in line except the case head. The rim where the extractor grabs it, is pulled back so hard it cups up the rim. At the same time the ejector button leaves a hellovo ring mark in the head. The whole thing looks all messtd up around the rim. There weas even a few that looked like that that I was able to pick up and shake the primers out of. I hate it to because this is a huge lot of once fired GMM brass my Sniper Brother in lawgets for me. I must emplore those of you with more experiance with these autos to please give me a hand


Like I said. I am a "BOLT-GUN" person I bought this thing because my brother in law was in love with it. When i had a little winfall he convinced me "THESE GUNS WILL NOT BE AVAILABLE IN A VERY SHORT TIME" bla bla. But any way ive got it now. It sure made him happy.

It was starting to grow on me till this. I told my wife this new gun is worse than a new woman....Wont tell ya whats wrong, wont say what your doing to make her act the way she does,wont give you what you both know you wont.And never fails to remind you how close you might be to gettin

On that note. I have 3 lady traits this rifle has tought me She looks awsome in black ,I have no doubt that this and any other problem i might have with her, she will let it be known, it was all my fault And YES MONEY CAN BUY HAPPINESS
 
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